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From Haryana to Gujarat to Maharashtra, numerous Indian states have been witness to protests by backward classes pressing for quotas and reservations. In stark contrast is the exemplary case of Tamil Nadu, which has managed to effectively integrate economic and development agenda for the backward classes into state policy. In the fifty years of rule between them, M. Karunanidhi, MGR, and J. Jayalalithaa-the iconic leaders of Tamil Nadu politics-managed to effectively transform institutions and structures to deliver a social welfare agenda in the state. Was it pure charisma on part of these leaders that gave us the unusual story of politicians and bureaucrats working hand in hand to implement a social agenda? Written by S. Narayan, who as part of the administration was both a witness to and a participant in these developments, this book is an intimate narrative on the Dravidian years of Tamil Nadu. At an important juncture of Tamil Nadu politics, it also makes us wonder: With no charismatic leader in the horizon, who can take the state forward?

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. The Social Reform Movement: Early Years. 2. The DMK and Social Change: 1967 to 1977. 3. Social Welfare and MGR: 1977 to 1987. 4. The Politics of Welfare: A Case Study of the Midday Meal Programme. 5. The Tamil Nadu Integrated Nutrition Programme: A Case Study. 6. The AIADMK after MGR: Jayalalithaa and Welfare. 7. Welfare as Politics: The Post-1996 Scenario. 8. Freebies for Votes: 2006 to 2016. 9. Looking at the Future. Bibliography.